23 Norwegian athletes to compete in Otepää

18 January 2012 15:51

Eldar Roenning -

FIS

Norwegian Cross-Country team will be featuring 23 skiers in World Cup Otepää upcoming weekend.There are 11 ladies and 12 men on the Norwegian roster for the distance and sprint World Cup competitions in Otepää. Two youngsters will also make their World Cup debut in Estonia. Håkon Mikalsen and Didrik Tønseth are entered for the 15 km Classic competition on Sunday.

"They got a chance to compete in the World Cup based on their good results in the Scandinavian Cup," Norway's head coach Vidar Løfshus said. After tough FIS Tour de Ski Marit Bjoergen, Therese Johaug and Petter Northug are again ready to fight for another portion of World Cup points.

Eldar Roenning ill

Silver medalist from the World Championships in Oslo Eldar Roenning has been coping with illness and his participation at the World Cup in Otepää is in jeopardy. Roenning has already announced he will not show up at the start of Saturday's classical sprint. "I have been very eager to show up again in the classical sprint. But my body has not yet fully recovered after the Tour, common sense tells me one race is enough for me next weekend," Roenning said to a regional newspaper.

Roenning hopes and believes he will be able to take part in Sunday's 15 km Classic, competition which he won last year. After the Tour de Ski Roenning had a three-day rest after which he resumed training. "On Saturday I felt first signs of catching cold. I will try to train on Wednesday," Roenning said who put off the departure to Estonia from Thursday to Friday.